Barnstaple, Imperial Hotel 1912

History

Caption for Barnstaple, Imperial Hotel 1912

A large extension to the hotel was needed to cope with the massive influx of tourists that increasing holiday
allowances and the railways had created. The original building is to the left. Blinds are fitted to the upper windows.
These are west-facing and are likely to be affected by a strong sunset in summer. The rustic thatched shed survived
into recent memory.

Memories of Barnstaple

I'm fairly confident that the people below occupied the properties at that time;
No 1 - The Vicar of St Marys' Magdelain in Bear Street, he lived on his own, a short, dark and mysterious man with bushy eyebrows.
No 2 - Occupied by the Burges's and also owned [or rented] a walled plot of land just opposite.
No 3 - ...Read full memory

As my fourteenth birthday hove into view and we entered the summer of 1939 it became clear that we could soon be at war with Germany. Bushey Heath was just fifteen miles north-west of central London. My parents felt I should be out of the way of the expected bombing raids, so they sent me, not ...Read full memory

This picture has particularly fond memories as on the immediate right is Darks the Jewellers' shop, where I started my first job as an apprentice. The window immediately above the sun blind is the watch repairer's workshop. Two doors away is Timothy Whites, a name long gone from our High Streets.

Wallpaper

More About Window Blinds

Frith photos are now available printed direct onto made-to-measure window blinds and available in either a semi-transparent or blackout fabric finish and fully customisable to fit your window and decor at home.

More about Image Optimisation

All our photos are printed as optimised versions of their originals, this process can take anything from 15 minutes to several hours. This ensures that the product you get shows the true quality that Frith photos are renowned for.

Example of image retouching

More Info

We've put together a document explaining in depth what has happened to your photograph prior to it being dispatched. If you want to read more information about this subject, please click here.